1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the safe insertion and removal of hot-swappable computer components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hot swappable components have become commonplace in computer systems. Server systems often use hot swappable memory, hard drives, and various pieces of hardware commonly referred to as daughter cards. Hot swapping may involve the removal of a piece of hardware, or the insertion of a piece of hardware, or both while the computer is on and functioning.
Computer systems that support hot swapping need some ability to detect that a component has been removed or inserted and to determine what resources are available for use. Notifying the system that a component has been inserted or removed allows for efficient allocation of resources and the use of computing power.
In addition, all connections need to be designed such that neither the component nor the user can be injured by removing or installing it. Most, if not all, computer components require power to be operational. The electronic connections between components must be designed to ensure that connecting the components will not result in a power surge to either component, which may result in damage to sensitive electronics. Also, care must be taken to avoid electrical shock to the user inserting or removing the component.
The components of the computer system must be designed to accommodate removal or installation of other components. When a component is removed, the computer system must reallocate tasks to other components. When a component is inserted, the system must be able to allocate tasks to that component in order to make the most efficient use of the system resources.
Furthermore, the removal of a hot swappable component must be accomplished in such a manner as to allow the component to complete any operations that are underway, and allow for seamless operation of the computer system. Removal of a component should not result in the loss or corruption of data. The removal or addition of a component should also be possible at any time, to enable the user to make “on-the-fly” adjustments to the computer system.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for activating the card after insertion, or deactivating the card prior to removal. It would be desirable for the method and apparatus to provide a locking mechanism to prevent removal prior to deactivation.